Car construction.



" T. DUNBAR & L. J. BERG.

GAB. CONSTRUCTION. APPLIOATONTILBD JAN. 1s, 1909.

Patented June 29, 1 909.

UNTTED .STATES PATENT OFFTQF.

THOMAS DUNBAR AND LARS J. BERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS 'IO PULLMAN COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CAR CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application filed January 15, 1909. Serial` No. 472,474.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, TnoMAs DUNnAn and LARs J. Biene, both citizens of the United States, and both residing at Chicago, 1n the. county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Irrprovements in Car Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more especially to the construction and reinforcement of a car body in such manner that the weight and strain of the car will be equally distributed without the necessity for employing lthe usual number of exterior braces bars and struts on the bottom of the car, whereby the appearance of the car will be improved and the space beneath the car required for the attachment of the necessary gas and other apparatus will be unbroken by the usual number of exterior bracine's.

Another object of the invention is to more strongly reinforce the ends of the car against telescoping action, and provide within the Walls of the car suitable bearings which will support the middle of the car in equilibrium with the ends of the car, so that sagging at any point will be prevented. i

Another object of the invention is to so secure the reinforcing structure that it will serve as anchor plates for the connection of the intermediate brace bars; and a further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the brace bars may be suitably connected in the middle so as to constitute, in effect, an integral bar extending from end to end of the car and at the same time lo provide means whereby the bars may be easily positioned within the car and readily adjusted as occasion may require.

Further objects will appear from a detailed description of the invention, which consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of one of the ends of a car body, showing the outer' sheathing removed, and showing the brace members of the present invention, Fig. 2 a cross sectional view taken through the sills of the car lloor; Fig. 3 a side elevation of one end of the connecting bar, Fig. 4 a top or plan view of the same, and Fig. 5 a cross section of one of the car walls, showing the anchor plate in section.

applied to a car having outer side sills 5 and intermediate sills 6, each of which sills, as shown in Fig. 2 is formed from two or more timbers, although a single timber might be employed for each sill. Near the center of the car are located a pair of transversely extending trusses 7, one of which only is shown in Fig. 1, which trusses comprise an upper cross bar 8 ofT formation, a lower' and short cross bar 9 of inverted T formation, and diagonally extending side bars 10 of similar formation. The upper and lower bars are connected by inner vertical braces l1, and the upper and side bars by short outer vertical braces 12, the truss as a whole being properlyformed from a single casting, although, obviously, adapted to be formed in some other' way. Each of the side sills has embodied therein a connecting bar 13 which bridges over the space between the two trusses and rests upon the ends of the upper cross bar of each truss, and the connecting bars and the trusses are firmly secured to the side sills by means of vertical tie bolts 14, which extend through the side sills, the connecting bars and the upper bars of the trusses. .Each of the trusses, near its center, is provided with a pair of inverted U bracket lugs 1 5, which serve as bearing points `for inner brace rods 1.6 of the usual characte r, the ends of which are suitably anchored on a level with the lloor frame of the car, the centers being depressed to furnish a suitable brace 'for the center of the car. In cars ol' ordinary construction, four of such brace rods are required, and the present invention is more especially intended to eliminate the outer two for reasons previously referred to.

Fach of the connecting bars 1S is provided, near cach end, with an elongated slot 17, as shown in Fig. Ll, and each of the bars is fur ther provided at the inner ends of the walls, and just outside of the truss, with depending lugs 1S provided with diagonally extending holes 19 which are intended to receive the inner ends of a pair of diagonally extending brace bars 20, one at each end of the car. Each of the lugs 1S, is reinforced by means of a pair of longitudinal tapering [langes 21, which serve to allord a rigid mounting for the ends of the diagonally extending outer brace bars, the inner ends of which extend through l and below the level of the side sills of the car,

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the invention is l and are entered through the slots 17 and 'l/J through the holes 19, being rigidly secured by means of nuts 22 which are screwed onto the ends of the brace bars and bear against the inner faces of the lugs 1S which are given a pitch or bevel at right angles to the brace bars. The brace bars extend diagonally upward to the Window lines of the car, and are secured to the upper inner corners of anchor plates 23, which are entered within the side walls of the car, and serve to heavily reinforce the car walls against telescoping action.

It will be understood that but one end of the car is shown, and that the opposite end is similarly constructed to that previously described.

The brace bars serve to hold the car in a condition of equilibrium, the outwardly proj ecting ends of the car serving to balance the weight of the middle of the car and vice versa. By locating the brace bars within the side walls of the car instead of employing outer brace rods below the car, the ends of the bars are carried a very considerable distance above the loor line of the car whereby the pull or draw of the bars will tend to prevent sagging of the ends without the necessity for providing a complicated cantaliver wall construction like that frequently employed at the present time. The anchor plates give a solidity to the ends of the car which tends to minimize the possibility of telescoping in case of' collision, and serve as an anchorage for the ends of the brace bars, which, being secured to the upper inner corners of the anchor plates, tend, when tightened by the action of the nuts, to tilt up the ends of the car and counteract the tendency to sag, and in like manner the center of the car is supported by the brace bars, the weight of the center portion of the car serving to balance the combined weights of the ends of the car. ln addition to the advantages above enumerated, the space beneath the car is left unimpeded to a considerable extent, and the appearance of the car improved generally.

By employing a separate brace rod at each end of the car and connecting them by a connecting bar in the center, the instalment of the brace bars within the walls of the car is rendered easier than it' a continuous and unbroken bar, extending from. end to end of the car were employed, and at the same time an easy and convenient means of regulating each of the bars, independently of the other, is afforded. Furthermore, by securingl the connecting bars rigidly to the truss in the center of the car, great rigidity of structure is provided, each of the bars being anchored at both its inner and outer ends to a portion of the car structure, which is built into and permanently connected with the car trame.

In cars of ordinary construction having four longitudinally extending brace rods which are supported against struts on the bottom of the car, it sometimes happens that a car will be thrown from its trucks in such manner as to break or distort the struts, which tends to weaken the car body to such an extent that it is liable to be seriously damaged or destroyed under such conditions. ln the construction of the present invention in which the side braces are completely housed in the walls of the car, the liability et serious damage or destruction in case t ie car should be thrown from its trucks is greatly reduced it not entirely eliminated.

Wvhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In car construction, the combination of the sills and walls of the car, a truss extending transversely of the sills, connecting bars underlying the side sills and supported upon the truss, and brace bars having their inner ends. secured to the connecting bars and having their outer ends secured to the car walls above the floor line thereof, substantially as described.

2. In car construction, the combination of a pair of brace bars in the wall of the car, said brace bars being elevated at their outer ends and depressed at their inner ends, anchor plates located at each end of the car wall to which the outer ends of the bars are secured a considerable distance above the iloor line of the car, a connecting bar slotted at its ends to receive the inner ends of the brace bars and having lugs through which said ends are entered and held, and means for holding the ends in engagement with the lugs, substantially as described.

3. In car construction, in combination with the sills and walls of the car, a pair of trusses extending transversely of the sills, connecting bars underlying the side sills and supported upon the trusses, and brace bars having their inner ends secured to the connecting bars and having their outer ends secured to the car walls above the floor line thereof, substantially as described.

4. ln car construction, in combination with the sills of a car, a pair of transversely extending trusses, connecting bars underlying the side sills and supported upon the trusses, anchor plates in the car walls near the ends thereof, and brace bars having their inner ends secured to the connecting bars and having their outer ends secured to the anchor plates, substantially as described.

5. In car construction, in combination with the sills of a car, a pair of transversely extending trusses, connecting bars underlying the side sills and supported upon the trusses, anchor plates in the car Walls near the ends thereof, and brace bars having their inner ends secured to the connecting bars and having their outer ends secured to the anchor plates, above the iioor line of the car, substantially as described.

6. ln car construction, in combination with the sills of the car, a pair of transversely extending trusses near the center' of the car, a pair of connecting bars underlying the side sills and supported upon the trusses, each of the connecting bars having at each end an elongated slot, and a bored lug adjacent thereto, brace bars having their inner ends entered through the bores in the lugs and having their outer ends secured to the car Wall above the floor line thereof, and nuts on the inner ends of the brace bars and bearing against the lugs, substantially as described.

7. In car construction, in combination With the sills of the car, a pair of transversely extending trusses located near the center of the car, connecting bars underlying the side sills and supported upon the trusses, ineans for rigidly securing the connecting bars to the trusses and to the side sills, anchor plates in the ends ofthe car Walls, lugs on the connecting bars, and diagonally extending brace bars having their outer ends secured to the anchor plates above the floor line of the car and having their inner ends entered into perlorations in the lugs, and nuts threaded onto the inner ends of the bars and bearing against the lugs and adapted to regulate the tension of the bars, substantially as described.

THOMAS DUNBAR. LARS J. BERG. W'itnesses:

SAMUEL W. BANNING, VALKER BANNING. 

